Films have come to not only entertain modern minds but also to inform and shape them. Many of the best cinematic works have profound religious elements, either clear or subtle. In "Catching Light" Roy Anker examines nineteen popular films, showing how they convey a range of striking perspectives on the human encounter with God.Organized by genre -- tragedy, comedy, fairy-tale, and drama -- these selected films present different, surprising ways in which God shows up amid the messy circumstances of life. For each film Anker looks closely at the plot, especially at how experiences of the storiesb characters ultimately move them btoward Lightb -- a recognition of a loving, redemptive deity. The first section of the book looks at three classic films of the 1970s that inspect personal, social, and cultural evil: "The Godfather, Chinatown," and "The Deer Hunter." The second group of films depicts the ways and depths of specifically Christian notions of redemption: "Tender Mercies, The Mission, Places in the Heart," and "Babettebs Feast." Some of the most successful films of our time have come as fairy-tale fantasies: the "Star Wars" saga, "Superman," and three of Steven Speilbergbs blost boyb stories, each of which Anker interprets as fables of search and redemption. The films in the last section of the book feature characters who, to their great surprise, are ambushed by a wholly unexpected God: "Grand Canyon, American Beauty," and "Three Colors: Blue." In addition to focusing on the theological dimension of each film, Anker comments on its merits both as story and as cinema. Every chapter also includes sidebars that discuss each filmbs history and significance as well as thequality and special features of DVD editions. For anyone interested in the intersection of religion, art, and culture, "Catching Light" offers a unique view of contemporary faith. |
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